One More Time
by MissJinny
Summary: *~*Final Chapter *~* An alien (my own design) is on earth and now faces the Zfighters, will he kill or be killed? *this ones good* Please R&R! =:) *~*Sorry for the long wait, had a comp. crash*~*
1. Default Chapter

It crawled through the darkness pulling along a disfunctioning leg, shattered femur and all.  Hunched over, the mass blotted out all sun that entered the cave entrance some forty feet behind him, he struggled along to enclose himself in darkness to sit and heal…though this time it would take a lot longer than it had before.  As he reached a comfortable spot out of the light in a far corner, he settled down to take in the damage.  Along with the shattered leg and dislocated knee, he had several broken ribs at least two of those were in splinters, a destroyed wrist left three long and thick fingers twitching in spasms as he tried desperately to use his hand.  A busted "nose" left rivulets of yellow-orange blood as thick as puss flowing down his face and dripping from his jowls.  One lavender eye had swollen shut; the other looked through a mat of peach colored hair coated in sweat and blood, at the damage done to his body.  

With his good hand he tugged the tatters of clothing off his torso, revealing large gashes and cuts across his chest separating the thick violet hide to the bone in some places.  A guttural grunt emanated deep in his throat, large chords of muscle bouncing as he saw for the first time the ruins of a right leg.  The thick thigh bone was jutting out of the side of his leg, pushing down on the top of the bone with his messed up wrist, he grasped the lower half of the leg bone with his good hand and sharply snapped the bone back through the tissue, setting the bone back into place.  Looking around squinting at the wall beside him, he jabbed an elbow into the granite at his side, two decent sized slabs fell to the cave floor.  Picking them up and using the shirt to tie them in place, a makeshift splint was created.

After resetting the useless wrist, he wrapped it tightly with the rest of the shirt and rested against the cavern wall.  It would take a very long time for the slow metabolism to heal this much damage.  A soft rumble soon filled the cave as the being slumbered before hibernation, a soft tinkle and glint of silver as a cuff broke from around a thick forearm.  An alien scrawl was etched along the outside with ornate decorations, five characters were stamped on the inside '_f__Ãζξ__f'_.

*~*~*~***Several Years Later***~*~*~*

The desert crackled with dry heat and energy as two being clashed sending bolts of energy to the earth at the feet of bystanders watching them beat each other pound for pound.  Ki blasts shot from fingers and palms; swishing past glowing blonde hair, singeing the ends as they dissipated in the atmosphere, closely followed by more blasts.  Grunts echoed off of dry earth as sweat and blood splattered onto the ground.  With a final blow both descended, gasping for breath as they reached the cracked desert ground.  Mirai Trunks and Vegeta looked at each other, one resting on a knee, the other with hands on his hips.  

"You've learned a lot boy.  But you still aren't as good as me." Vegeta smirked, his breath now under control.  Trunks looked at his father, a scowl plastered to his face, one that mirrored his fathers on any given day.  The three onlookers walked toward the two, Goku the first to react.

"Wow guys, that was amazing!  Trunks you sure have learned a lot since the last time I saw you fight."  Goku's praise somewhat brightened the longhaired teen.  Gohan was close on his father's heels, stopping short of running into him, a lopsided grin on his face as he rattled off praise to the two warriors.  Piccolo's slow gait brought him to the group last, he stood with thick arms crossed over his chest a grunt of acknowledgement was his only response.

"Well, Gohan, I guess that means it's our turn.  Are you ready?" Goku looked down onto the squirming boy at his feet.

"Sure am, Dad!" Gohan's face looked determined, but inside he was excited to finally spar with his father.

As the two took to the sky, Vegeta and Trunks took a seat on a stone, ribbing each other about attacks while guzzling down mouthfuls of water.  Piccolo stood to the side watching as Gohan attacked his father with an offensive attack that was easily blocked and dodged by Goku.  As the two grew more heated in the sparring match, saiyajin levels were reached and matched, bright flashes of ki, kaioken and bushy blonde hair fought on.

Now taking the defensive, Gohan blocked the fists and feet of his father coming at him in a fury.  A small break in Goku's attack let Gohan blow several ki shots zinging past Goku's shoulder as he dodged them.  The blasts flew to the earth creating craters and holes of various size.  No one really minded the ground shaking beneath their feet, it was something they had all grown accustomed to when there was a fight or sparring match.  The ground split in sections, chunks of earth elevated and smashed back to the ground.  All the shaking and blasts was shaking apart plateaus and caverns, lizards and dragons running for cover, a stir deep within a cave had gone unnoticed as the onslaught of fighting was shaking the desert to its core.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The beast had awoken to a jar of the earth that knocked him from his spot across the cavern to make a deep impression onto the opposite side.  Shaking himself fully awake, the violet giant blinked several times finally remembering where he was and what he was doing.  He checked on his femur first, it had nit perfectly with the aid of the granite splint, the flesh on top had scared where it had been ripped through, a light purple scar as thick as his thumb ran diagonally about five inches long.  He unwrapped his wrist slowly, taking note that all three fingers and thumb seemed to be working in near perfect condition. The wrist had set and healed nearly correctly, slightly offset though it seemed to have no direct effect on its use.  Another jostling of the ground sent him onto his side, proving that the rest of the broken bones of his body were healed as well as he landed on sharp ribs.

Pulling himself onto his feet he stood flexing what little he could in the confines of the cave, he bent and picking up the broken band that had fallen from his forearm some years earlier.  It had lost some sheen but could easily be polished; he clamped the metal back around his arm.  His lavender eyes squinted as his pressed his palm to the crack in the metal and sealed it with a searing heat.  The cave rocked again dust and rocks falling from the ceiling.  The being looked up to see a crack spreading, the cavern entrance rumbled and was sealed in with large boulders of granite.  '_f__Ãζξ__f, __e__d__r__t __t __¢__l_!!!!_"_ A native tongue clicked and swirled in the collapsing chamber, words full of venom and curses.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Goku had fired a kamehameha, Gohan barely moved out of the way as the blast of ki drove into a plateau making it collapse.  Growling, Gohan moved in for a kill shot that was reflected by his father, leaving the two in the grips of physical combat.  

Piccolo and Trunks watched them, Trunks in awe of the skill of such a young boy and Piccolo noting the flaws in Gohan's technique that would be addressed later.  Vegeta had grown bored of the fight and was lying on his back in the desert heat in a puddle of sweat.  He pretended to ignore the power levels of the two sparring saiyajins but inside was grumbling on the waste of such power on a child.

As the plateau slid off skew, it resettled in a mass of boulders and shale, Vegeta looked at it warily for a moment before resting in the heat again.  A flash of blinding white light sneaked through the cracks of the rubble, and like a delayed reaction the mountain was moved all at once in a flying tornado of rocks and wind.  

Goku and Gohan turned in unison and shielded themselves from the sudden onslaught of boulders and dust.  Goku then faced Vegeta who was now standing looking at once was a pile of rubble that was now a crater.  "Vegeta!"  Goku called out the name, a flash of anger glinted his eyes, "What are you doing?  We're trying to have a spar here, if you're that impatient you can go somewhere else to train."  Goku's anger had faded as he began pleading with the saiyajin prince.  Vegeta looked up at with a furrowed brow.

"What are you talking about, Kakkorot?  I had nothing to do with that!" Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, turning his back to Goku.  The others looked at him then the crater, *if Vegeta didn't do that…then who did?*  Goku scratched the back of his head.

Piccolo had begun to walk to the crater when he stopped, his arms unfolding from his chest, long fingers curling into fists.  Gohan was the first to notice the tension emanating from his mentor and turned, eyes wide as he looked out across the rubble himself.

Rocks and dirt shifted as a large violet alien stood from the wreckage.  He seemed not to notice the fighters gawking at him as he squinted at the sudden light, his reptilian eyes slanted shut the pupils tight lines of black.  He was massive, flexing first one arm then the other and now both.  Peach hair was disheveled, a meaty hand flipped the hair over the left side of his face, the right half of his head bald.  Then as though seeing them for the first time, the violet giant froze and stood as a statue amongst thigh deep rubble staring at the Z warriors who reflected his look of confusion and astonishment.


	2. An Introduction

**Disclaimer:** I forgot to say in the first chapter *sheepish grin*: I do not own DBZ or any affiliate characters. Though one night with a certain tall green being would be nice….

**A/N:**Thoughts are presented with *blah blah* marks and italics, for the violet beast his thoughts are in English so you understand what I'm trying to convey…assume they aren't until later.

For sekky Piccolo the addition of extra persons in his mind (being Kami and Nail) their thoughts are represented with ~blah blah~ and also in italics. =)

~~~~~~~

He stood looking at the five people surrounding him.  Never in all his time on this planet had he seen or sensed anyone so strong.  He remembered a legend of his people that reflected what he saw in four of them.  The deep sated need and desire for the fight, but it wasn't at all like the child's tale he was told.  The youngest floated, knowing he was watching him.  *_He is very pure of heart…* _Looking at the others he remarked on Goku, Vegeta and Trunks, making mental notes of arrogance and strength.  As his eyes fell on Piccolo he smiled.  *_A namek, even here…though he isn't its guardian*_ He harrumphed to himself and elevated from the rubble coming to land in front of Piccolo.  *_This one is quite protective…*_

As he stepped forward, Goku and Gohan landed beside Piccolo, their shock had worn off and now they were prepared to give a thrashing if need be.  He stopped in surprise at the sign of violence at his mere presence.  Pulling himself to full height, he cocked his head to one side and looked at them up close.  The smaller arrogant one glared back at him, a retort being bit back, the violet giant smirked.  

"fÃζ  ξf,?"The soft clucks of his tongue as he spoke made no impression on them.  Grunting with frustration he searched his memory through the dialects he had learned while being on Earth.  After looking at the desert surroundings he pointed to each of them in turn.  At Vegeta he spoke slowly, "Diallo."  Vegeta's face fell in confusion.  Moving to Trunks he cocked his head aside, "Ruhio."  A finger jabbed at the namek, "Donkor," and then to Goku, "Gamba."  When he looked at Gohan he smiled, "Tahir…" he nodded, "Tahir."

"What and the hell are you talking about?!" Vegeta had lost it, the ramblings of this idiot made his head hurt.

The giant's head snapped to attention, peach hair falling into his face.  He scowled and Vegeta waited for him to barrel at him with those huge fists aimed for his head, in a way he hoped he would. Then carefully he pulled out a broken sentence from his memory, "…spek…enlish?"  He grunted, dissatisfied.  "You...speak English?"

Gohan looked up at him, "My names Gohan."  The giant looked down and smirked.  

"You can call me…" He thought for a moment, there was no way they could pronounce his given name, "Gharib."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Piccolo looked at the man who called himself Gharib.  Unlike the others Piccolo understood what he had tried to do earlier when calling them by African names.  Though they were in a desert, it wasn't Africa and they didn't speak African.  Piccolo tried to read the thoughts of this mammoth, but couldn't understand it since it was spoken in his native tongue.  Gharib stood two or three inches taller then Piccolo, but was about half a back wider.  *_I've never seen his race before…he could very well be as friendly as he appears but there's something else, something I'm missing…*_

Gharib looked intently at the Piccolo some time before he noticed.  Piccolo frowned, "Can I help you?"

Cocking his head again, Gharib allowed a little smile, his reptilian eyes blinked slowly before he nodded to Piccolo.  

*_What does he want?!*_  Piccolo widened his stance taking in any slight movement Gharib might make.  Goku and Vegeta noticed his tense reaction and became wary of the alien for the first time.

*_Well now, what's gotten the namek so worried?  From what I can tell this mammoth is a pushover…*_ Vegeta frowned.  *_The beast isn't looking at anyone but Piccolo anyway, maybe he just wants to kill him for some stupid reason.*_  

"Tell me, are you a healer?" Gharib's question came off guard, as everyone was lost in thought.  Piccolo shook his head.

"I'm not, but the guardian of this planet is."  Piccolo watched his reaction carefully.  Gharib seemed to roll the response around in his head carefully before finally reaching a conclusion.

"I would like to meet this guardian…" Gharib looked off into the distance, his eyes detached.  Piccolo searched his body language for a threat.  There was no way he was going to put Dende into any trouble.  When his eyes fell on the cuff tightly clamped to the forearm he regarded it with scrutiny.  The design was simple but it was so highly decorated that there was no way this was just a peasant alien from another planet.  The small medallion at his neck was almost lost in the folds of muscle and deep purple hue of his flesh.  That decoration Piccolo had seen before.

*_That's impossible.*  _A sweat drop rolled from Piccolo's temple to his jaw.  *_I've only seen that symbol once before…but where?* _ A calm voice in Piccolo's mind spoke up, ~_I saw  a medallion much like that one when I was a boy on Namek.  It's a sign of heroism given to those who have sacrificed much.  As I recall someone had become a super namek to protect the entire city from destruction of asteroids.  He had managed to deflect every one of them but after all was done he was dying from the effort.  He was given the medallion before he died._~  

Piccolo mulled over what he had heard from Nail.  "What did he do to earn such an honor on Namek?" he muttered to himself.  Finally coming to a decision he looked at the violet mass in front of him. "Follow me."

As Piccolo took to the sky, Gharib quickly followed suit.  The four saiyajins looked at each other in shocked silence then took off after the two.  Goku accelerated and caught up to Piccolo, "What are you doing?" He looked at him, his voice a harsh whisper.

"You'll just have to trust me."  And with the way Piccolo looked at Goku, he had no choice but to believe him.


	3. The Truth

As the group got closer to the Lookout, Piccolo got a bad feeling in his stomach.  *_We shouldn't be here, I shouldn't have brought him.*  _He glanced at Gharib flying close by his side, the peach hair was pushed back from his face and Piccolo noticed a long scar across an eye bridge down to his cheekbone.  Gharib had noticed Piccolo's glances and cocked an eyebrow then smirked.  Liquid lava flowed through Piccolo's veins, *_Dende dammit!  Damn this cocky bastard!*_  A low growl rumbled from his chest for a quick second, no one had noticed.

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dende stood amongst the garden watching butterflies skip from one flowerbed to the next.  Mr. Popo certainly had outdone himself this time, it seemed the entire lookout had been made one mass of glowing greens, reds, yellows, blues and violets.  Dende touched a finger to a drooping tulip, which swelled and came back from the compost pile candidate to a flourishing golden flower.  

He knew that Piccolo and the others were on their way, but didn't know why.  As they got closer, the ki and aura of one he didn't know grew stronger and Dende was almost torn between the feeling of dread and curiosity.  He walked to the edge, looking out across the plains far below him and waited for their arrival.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Piccolo reached out with his mind to the namekian youth, trying to give an ample warning since they didn't know what to expect from this being, it was to no avail.  Dende had no doubt lost himself in thought with no intent of returning until they were already to the Lookout, *_I hope by then it won't be too late.*_

Goku was flying far enough behind Piccolo and Gharib to be heard by Gharib at least, but close enough to the other saiyajins so that they could.  "Look guys, this isn't looking good.  I don't know what to make of this guy but we've got to be prepared."

Vegeta scoffed at him, the beginnings of a retort on his lips when Goku turned his head, catching his eye. "Got it, Vegeta?" Goku's eyes narrowed, the seriousness on his face and demeanor of his body language made Vegeta bite back what he was going to say and instead nodded with a grunt. *_Since when has Kakkarot become so edgy?*_

The Lookout loomed into view, Piccolo perched on the landing quickly followed by Gharib and soon after the saiyajins.  Piccolo saw Dende to his left, still looking over its edge lost in thought.  He began to walk towards him, hoping that in the brief moment he would have his attention he could give him the warnings and doubts he himself had about Gharib.  But as he began, Gharib pushed him out of the way, walking to the youth still unaware of their presence.  Gharib grasped the youths shoulder and spun him away from the edge so that Dende faced him.

Shocked back to reality, Dende looked up at the violet mammoth in front of him, then looked behind him to the saiyajins that stood ready to fight, as he looked at Piccolo a cacophony of warnings rang in his head.  The beast dropped his hand from Dende's shoulder at the look of shock and pain.  

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After Gharib had grasped the boy from his daydreaming, the look of shock and pain that crossed his face caused him concern.  He hadn't intended to harm him unless he needed to.  But after he let go, the look hadn't gone away and he felt the eyes of the others boring into his back.  With a knowing nod, Gharib looked over his shoulder at the Namek behind him.  He was staring intently at the guardian, apparently he had communicated something to the boy.  *_This, Piccolo, is going to be more trouble then I thought…*_

Gharib snapped from his reverie as the guardian spoke his name.  He blinked in surprise for a moment before he remembered what he had just witnessed between the nameks.  "Guardian, I need an answer or possibly a favor from you."  The guardian smiled, the youth in his face was fading as he took on a serious nature. 

"Call me Dende, and I will certainly do what is in my power to help you."

The gentleness and immediate acceptance toward him brought a sweat drop to Gharib's face.  Gharib bent on one knee so that he could look at Dende from his level and smirked as Dende took a step back.  "What I need is hard for me to explain, could you possibly read my mind if I show you pictures of what it is?"  Dende nodded and waited for him to continue.  "Good, it will be much easier this way."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Dende extended an arm to Gharib's head and began to concentrate.  Flickers of images flashed across his mind's eye, bright colors and faint images began to sharpen.  ~Nameks, smiling and going on with daily things.  The planet namek, when it was new to the universe and full of lush greens and blues.~ Dende smiled at the serenity he got from these memories of Gharib, it had been a long time since he had seen Namek, though no one truly ever would anymore.  

Piccolo watched as Dende smiled in a quiet reserve.  He started to feel foolish for being to wary and cautious of Gharib when Dende's face took on a look of horror, pain and shock.  "Dende!"

Dende's hand twitched and shook on Gharib's head.  Gharib couldn't suppress a small laugh as the youth was too engrossed his this mental imagery to let go.  With some willpower, Dende's hand dropped and he looked at the face of the man kneeling before him. Sweat was running down his cheek and nose, his eyes shocked open as Gharib stood.  Dende grasped the medallion at Gharib's neck and snapped it off.  Flames flared in the lilac eyes as he glared at the arrogant namek.

"Murderer…" Dende's voice was barely above a whisper but Piccolo's sensitive ears had caught the word and he watched as Dende stared at the shiny metal object in his hand.  "MURDERER!  Never!  Never will I help you!!!  Not for that, nor for you!"  


	4. Play Time

Images were still stuck in his mind…~Death.  Painful, excruciating death.~ Dende began to remember from his childhood on Namek…*_They came out of space like a shot, no one had seen them coming and when we had it was too late.  The beings emerged, all of them so much stronger than any of us had dreamed.  They killed everyone and everything in their path but they had no purpose.  They didn't want the planet for themselves or anyone else, they didn't want its resources or even a wish from the dragon; all they wanted was death.  The ground had run with blood of fallen Nameks, and eventually the weaker of them were weeded out.  Nail had taken Dende into Guru and the three of them hid in the intricacies of tunnels underground.  Dende hated the closeness and the smell of earth.  He felt like he was suffocating and ran to find an exit, Nail and Guru yelling after him.  Other Nameks had pushed their way into the tunnels as well, but he ran past them, needing light and fresh air.  When finally his head emerged from the ground into the light of day, he watched as they massacred a group they had gathered.  Each namek, a dozen or so in all, was placed in order of height and were carefully tortured to the point that Dende passed out from watching, and awoke when he was grasped by the antennae and drug to the center of them.  They were gigantic, their purple hide hid the blood of other Nameks they had murdered.  They made him watch as one of the greatest warriors of Namek was killed like nothing.  Before his headless carcass hit the ground one of the intruders, dressed regally grasped him by the bloodied neck and removed his medallion of honor.  He clicked and grunted to the others, they all laughed in unison as he put it on his neck and turned to Dende still held in the arms of one of the beasts.  He smiled down at him, the blood of the once great warrior dripping off of his face onto Dende's.  Clicking and croaking his captor let Dende go, but his legs wouldn't work and he collapsed onto the ground shivering, clutching his head.  When nothing happened he looked up but they were all gone, the ships had left with the bodies of so many Nameks strewn across the landscape…"_

Dende could feel heat rising in his face as he flushed with anger.  Gharib's massive fist uncurled as he held a palm toward Dende, a flickering light sparked from his fingertips to Dende's antennae and before any of the warriors could react he crumpled and fell from the Lookout barreling toward the earth.

"DENDE!"  Piccolo's eyes widened in horror.  Leaping over the side, he flew with all the fibers of his being cursing his stupidity.  He caught Dende in midair, the boy was limp but alive.  Bringing him back to the Lookout, Piccolo lay him on the floor, energy crackled around him as he glared at the violet murderer who stood laughing, his three fingered hands on his hips.  Goku let out a war cry and charged at him, but Piccolo held up a hand, his eyes glowing, "Stop, Goku!  Not here."

Gharib nodded to the namek, "Indeed, this is not place for a battle.  You'd all easily die from the fall and where's the fun in that?"  Laughing he leapt from the Lookout and headed south, a shimmering white trail of vapor was left for the rest to follow.  

Piccolo grit his teeth.  *_Dende…I'm sorry._*

*~*~*~*~*~*

They had flown for what felt like hours but was truly only seconds.  They arrived back at the dessert where they had been sparring earlier that day.  Gharib was standing facing the five of them, a smile had pulled his thick lips across his pointed teeth as he pushed his cream colored hair from his face.  "It appears I've struck a nerve.  Tell me, why are you so concerned for something as disgusting as a Namek?"  He bit out the last word, his smile slipping into a look of disgust before he laughed at the look on their faces.  "Now now, don't tell me that you favor them?  You, Vegeta, don't look so surprised you arrogant bastard, you despise this _Namek_ that you fight with… so why fight with him?"

Vegeta growled, "I may not be fond of him, but I do not despise someone who has such tenacity and inner strength.  Had I to choose between a victory with a freak like you, or a warriors death with this Namek there would be no contest."  Vegeta's eyes narrowed as he spoke, each word seeming a bullet as he bit them off with turmoil of inner rage.  The others stared at him in shock.  Never had they heard anything so humble come from the Ouji even out of anger.  At least humble for Vegeta.

Gharib looked at him, not surprised by the retort.  "And the rest of you, you feel the same eh?"  He smiled as Goku and Trunks nodded.  The small one however wasn't moving, he was glaring at Gharib a well of tears were in his eyes but he refused to let them fall.  "What's the matter Tahir?"

Gohan looked at him, his small face a scrunched mass of anger and hurt.  "What did you do to Dende?"  His tone and strength of voice had taken Gharib aback, but he didn't let it show.  "Why don't you leave?  You don't belong here."

As Gharib looked at the youth, he saw that he was wise beyond his ten or so years.  *_I wonder what this boy has gone through to make him so old before his time?_*  As Gharib was thinking Gohan had taken advantage of his distraction and charged at him, a solid punch to the jaw snapped back the giants head and sent him flying into a plateau some 500 feet behind him a mass of dust and rock flew from the puncture in the wall as Gharib stepped out.  "That's very good for a boy.  Very good."  

Gohan had his fists at the ready as he took another lunge at the beast.  For his size, Gharib could move very quickly dodging and blocking the fury of fists and feet that tried to assault him.   When he began to laugh Gohan shot a ki blast into his stomach.  Gharib grasped at it as it pushed him along the desert floor, finally getting out of its way as it blasted into the earth.  *_Time to stop underestimating this one._*  Gharib flew, his hair fluttering behind him as he concentrated on Gohan's moves.  This time, no punches were landed.  Gharib curled his hand into a fat fist and punched the youth across the bridge of his nose, Gohan flew through the air and landed in a heap at his father's feet.  Goku looked at him tenderly, he knew that Gohan wasn't going to do this alone.

"Rest here, Gohan.  I'm proud of you."  As Goku made the move forward Trunks had already shot past him.  Goku grunted and let the teenager have his turn hoping that this would end quickly.  Trunks pulled his sword from his sheath and growled out a battle cry as he charged at Gharib.  His sword whistled as it snapped toward its intended target.  Gharib darted from the ground as it sailed past him.  Trunks flew up toward him, the sword sending a glint of light before Gharib shot out a hand, grasping the teen by the wrist and squeezing.  Trunks yelped as his hand spasmed and the sword fell from his grasp to the desert floor below.  

With a blur, a three-fingered fist caught Trunks under the jaw and left him flying through the air.  Regaining his composure, Trunks reared and flew toward him again throwing punches and kicking for his face but they were dodged or blocked.  Gharib decided that enough was enough, "You are a pest!"  He threw several punches, the first two were dodged, the others landed squarely in Trunks stomach; a punch to his face sent him sprawling.  Gharib meshed his hands together above his head and brought them down onto the neck of the teen with amazing force.  Trunks flew to the ground making a crater as his body hit.  He groaned, standing but favoring one leg a little.  

Gharib looked down on him and laughed.  Trunks looked like all the fight was drained from his body.  *_This is going to be too easy.*_  Gharib smiled to himself when a crackle of energy and bright yellow light filled the sky.  As it faded Trunks stood in the crater a mass of golden hair floating around his head, his turquoise eyes were glaring up at the beast in the sky.

"What are you doing?" Gharib asked in shock, he regained his composure to laugh though it was strained.

With a coy smile across his lips Trunks snarled, "I thought you wanted to play."Hi


	5. Bring It

Gharib looked down on the glowing warrior.  "That's a neat trick boy, but it won't help you."  Trunks harrumphed at his attempt to regain his composure.  As he flew at Gharib, they started another vicious dance.  *_He's so much stronger…but how?_*  Punches were dodged and blocked on both sides.  Trunks now appeared to have the upper hand in this battle.  A quick jab to Gharib's "nose" left him chocking on a flow of blood and snot.  Gharib spat out a mouthful of combined phlegm and yellow-orange blood.  A fast knee to Gharib's kidney and Trunks grasped Gharib by the arm, bringing his knee up sharply Trunks broke his elbow in two.  Smiling with triumph Trunks looked at the larger warrior who was unphased.  "What?!"  His shock had lost his discipline and Gharib slammed a fist into his face, one to his gut and kicked him in the lower back as he began to fall.  

When Trunks hit the ground this time, the hole was bigger and the light had phased out.  Piccolo looked at Trunks and then at the warrior who swelled with his triumph.  Gharib's left arm hung useless at his side, the bone was through the skin, leaving yellow orange blood thickly oozing down his fingertips and dripping to the ground.  What made this worse was that Gharib seemed not to notice, had a wound like that been done to one of the Z warriors, they would have half died of shock.  Piccolo furrowed his brow, trying to sort out the reasons why that could be, trying to subdue his own anger.

Goku called out to Trunks, he was alive but would be no use in this fight any longer.  Piccolo pulled the teen from the hole and drug him to Gohan's side checking his wounds.  Goku flared with flickering light and flew at Gharib with a guttural howl.  He took note of the damaged arm and decided to use it to his advantage.  He punched Gharib in the left shoulder, his entire arm was jostled but Gharib only kicked Goku in the chest.  Flipping end over end for a moment, Goku stopped himself and charged to Super Saiyajin.  Gharib laughed at him, "What makes you think that will help?  The one down there with the face plant did the same thing, but where did it get him?"

"He's only a boy, Gharib.  He hasn't faced assholes like you, but I have." Goku charged collecting a mass of energy to his side, "Kaaaaameeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaameee…" Gharib looked at Goku, his head cocked to one side in interest.  "HAAAAAAA!!!" 

The intense burst of ki flew from Goku's hands.  Gharib attempted to dodge it, but wasn't quick enough.  The blast had burned at his flesh, leaving raw patches of skin oozing and his leg was missing below the knee.  Tendons and chunks of flesh were twitching and dripping blood.  Goku bared his teeth in an insane smile and barreled into Gharib again.  He brought a quick knee into his groin but Gharib didn't respond.  "Huh?"  Goku drew back, puzzled.

Gharib grasped him by the neck with his one good hand and clenched it, Goku gurgled, kicking him in the stomach, chest and wounded arm.  Gharib's breath had been knocked out of him, but he sucked more in and squeezed harder.  *_Why doesn't he feel this?!*_

Goku grasped at Gharib's wrist, digging into the thick flesh with his own digits.  A strangled cry bubbled up from inside him as his ki flickered, his hair turning from black to blonde and back again. He shot several small ki blasts at Gharib, but he moved out of their path.

Piccolo watched the horrible scene from the ground suddenly a realization hit him.  *_That's it!*_  "Goku! He has no nerves, he can't feel physical pain!"  Vegeta looked over at him as though he had lost his mind.

"What are you blabbering about Namek?  Of course he feels pain!"  Vegeta knew that Piccolo was right.  Now one question plagued them both. *_How were they going to stop him now?*_


	6. A Realization

Goku's hand fell from Gharib's wrist as the last of his breath had run out, Gharib threw him to the ground.  Piccolo knelt over Goku, "You'll be alright.  Just hang in there."  Piccolo's eyes were darts of intense hate, he knew exactly what this brut had done to his race.  How horrid such an experience was that he had kicked himself for not remembering it earlier.  Maybe the rest of the Nameks had put it out of their minds hoping to forget, but how could they?  His mind probed Dende's, he was alive and coming around thanks to Mr. Popo.  

"Vegeta," Piccolo looked intently at the ouji, "I have a plan, but you're going to have to keep him busy until I can gather what I need."  

"Of course," Vegeta sneered, "however when I'm finished I don't think we'll be needing that little plan of yours."  

A loud howl of anger ripped through the air, Gharib had finally noticed the damage done to his body.  He charged a ball of ki into his hand and cauterized the stump left of his leg.  A glint of rage hit him as the prince of all saiyajins barreled at him, already in a super state.  Bracing himself for the coming onslaught, Gharib curled himself forward, making to head butt the ouji out of his way.  Vegeta faked to the left and uppercut Gharib with his entire force behind it.  The purple mountain spit blood, saliva and teeth as he dove backward, gravity pulling him into the earth as he skid.

"See Namek?  I've got this all under control." He flew to his target, showering him with a mass of ki blasts.

Piccolo only grunted, not looking at the onslaught but instead turned inward and concentrated.  He reached for the minds of all Nameks, some still alive and others long dead.  *_I need to borrow your memories…*_

*~*~*~*~*

Vegeta laughed whole-heartedly, it was evil and deep.  There was a crater many yards wide and at its bottom lay Gharib, spitting blood and struggling up.  *_This is too easy.*_  Vegeta smiled down on him as Gharib floated up to meet him.  One lilac eye was staring at the ouji with intense hatred, the other was half swollen shut.  "You look a little tired, why don't you lay down and die?"  Vegeta snapped.

Gharib said nothing, looking only at Vegeta.  Quick as a shot his hand came out and clasped onto Vegeta's wrist.  "Allow me to borrow some metabolism." The hand squeezed with crushing power.  

"Let go of me you fool!" Vegeta snarled.  He tried to shake him off, but to no avail.  He felt a quickening in his blood as it rushed toward his wrist.  He looked at it in amazement then up at the face of the behemoth, he was smiling and his wounds appeared to have stopped bleeding.  Vegeta began to feel dizzy, the minor scrapes on his body seemed to be peeling open and running rivulets of blood.

"Aaaah, so much better." Gharib laughed, his eyes were both now wide open, the cuts across his body had all but healed completely.  Vegeta's skin had grown a shade or two paler as he floated there.  Growling in disgust he threw a punch to Gharib's face, but when it struck it had little power in it.  Gharib's head rocked back from the blow, but it rolled forward again, a mouth full of teeth shining as he smiled at the small ouji still in his grasp.  Vegeta felt the dizziness coming back, trying to fight it and shake it from his head but it didn't help.  As he began to slip slowly from consciousness the hand that held him let go.

"Get off me you disgusting slug!"  

Vegeta blinked several times, coming back to his senses he saw that Piccolo had attached himself to Gharib's back.  Piccolo had one large hand wrapped around his neck, the other had a firm grip in the peach hair on the right side of Gharib's head.  Pointed fingernails were digging roughly into the violet skin small trickles of yellow-orange blood were running down Gharib's chest.  Gharib began to thrash wildly, jarring Piccolo loose.  Vegeta watched as the two struggled, Piccolo regaining his hold and Gharib trying to strike out at the Namek with his good arm.

"Feel the pain of a millennia, enjoy the suffering you've caused a race!"  Piccolo spat, his lips pulled across his jagged teeth showing the pain he felt there, a deep blue glow moved from Piccolo down his arm, into his hand matted in the hair of the beast.  Vegeta saw the aura permeate Gharib's head and moved back in shock as the mammoth screamed.  It started as a low rumble then escalated into a cacophony of piercing shrieks as he felt the pain of every Namek across the centuries, all at once.

"Vegeta, hit him now!" Piccolo growled.  The prince, now removed from his trance, glared at the Namek still strapped to the back of the beast.

"Get out of the way Namek!"

"If I let go, his pain is gone.  Hit him now!  Do it!"

With an internal shrug he gathered all of his ki into a final flash, with a roar of triumph he aimed it at the two tangled together.  It hit with a bright burst, Gharib's howl of pain turned to one of horror as Piccolo was fully jarred away from him and he saw his demise flaring from the saiyajin.  Piccolo caught a side blow of the flash, thrown through a cliff and landed with a thud some 200 feet down.  When the flash had burned off his corneas, Vegeta saw pieces of Gharib falling to the ground.

He landed amongst the other saiyajins, resting on one knee as he gathered himself.  Goku had regained consciousness and was sitting up with the help of Gohan, Trunks was returning to the crater to fetch his sword.  "Vegeta…where's Piccolo?"  Gohan's small face was inches away. 

"He landed somewhere over there." Vegeta pointed a finger toward the crumbling cliff.  Gohan took off, Goku and Trunks watching him before leaping after him when they heard his cry.  

When they got to the cliffside, Piccolo lay in a heap under a mass of rubble.  Gohan was picking up massive stones and throwing them off all the while talking to his fallen mentor.  Piccolo didn't stir, Goku rolled him onto his back, his breath was shallow but he was alive for now.


	7. Death?

Goku picked up the fallen Namek, heaving his mass onto his shoulders Goku took off for the Lookout.  The others followed, but at a more respective distance.  Trunks flew next to Gohan trying to calm down the small saiyajin, Vegeta took up the end of the party, arms crossed over his chest as he reflected on his weaknesses from the battle.

When they finally reached the Lookout, Mr. Popo greeted them with a look of shock on his face as Goku set Piccolo's body on the ground.  The Namek was still limp and he didn't seem to be progressing very well.

"Oh my!" Mr. Popo looked at the Piccolo a large sweat drop rolling down his round face.

"Mr. Popo, do you think Dende could help him out?" Goku looked down on the little black man.

"I'm afraid not."  Mr. Popo's eyes were large, "Dende is still recovering himself.  Oh dear what a predicament."  

Goku nodded, "I see.  Gohan, go see Korin, see if you can't have a couple sensu beans."  Gohan bowed to his father and dove off of the Lookout in search of the helpful cat.

*~*~*~*~*

Gohan free fell, hoping that it would be faster than if he flew strait down.  *_I hope Piccolo will be okay…*_ He got to Korin's place in record time.  Stumbling up the stairs in his haste he finally reached the landing.  "Master Korin!  Master Korin!"  Gohan searched, finding him napping in a beam of sun.  "Master Korin!"

"Wha?!" Korin snapped to attention, blinking the fuzz from his eyes.  "Gohan?  That's no way to enter someone's house, how disrespectful!"  Korin frowned.

"I'm sorry Master Korin but this is an emergency.  I need some sensu beans, fast!"  Gohan bowed several times, hoping that it would make up for his earlier disrespect.

"Well I'm sorry, Gohan, but I don't have any!"  Korin shrugged his small furry shoulders, picking himself from the floor with his staff.  "It's been a bad growing season…"

"But...but, you have to!  Mr. Piccolo needs them!"  Gohan's eyes began to tear.

"I'm sorry Gohan, there's nothing I can do." Korin turned his back to the boy.  

"Thank you anyway, Master Korin."  Gohan whispered.  He ran and dove off of the railing flying straight up.  *_What are we going to do now?*_

*~*~*~*~*

Goku saw Gohan pop over the side of the Lookout, running full barrel.  *_He returned too quickly._*  Goku looked at his son's face as he came to a screeching stop.  "Korin doesn't have any beans." He whispered, looking at his feet.

"That's alright, Gohan.  Help me get Piccolo to the falls."  Gohan set his little jaw and flew with his father.  Trunks looked at his father.  Vegeta shrugged and flew off toward Capsule Corps.  There was nothing that they could do now except wait.

*~*~*~*~*

Goku could smell the fresh flow of water and hear the roar of the falls miles before he saw it.  He had never understood why Piccolo enjoyed his time here, but now he thought he finally understood.  The lush mass of trees separated finally, showing the blue river and thunderous falls.  Gohan hadn't said anything after they left the Lookout, he knew his son was upset but Goku knew that with a little time Piccolo would heal himself, it would just take a while.  

Gohan flew ahead of his father and entered the cavern deep behind the waterfall.  When Goku caught up with him, he had cleaned an area for Piccolo to lay, Goku obliged by setting the Namek carefully onto his back.  Gohan watched Piccolo breath for a moment before following his father to the cave entrance.  Goku place his hand on top of his son's head and looked down on him.  "He'll be fine Gohan, we just need to give him time."  Gohan nodded and hugged his father's leg.  "Let's go home, you can come back and check on him after dinner."


	8. A New Beginning from an End

Gohan picked lazily at his dinner, he had no appitite and had toned out his mother's lunatic ravings about the fight earlier that day. Goku was fiercly trying to make his wife listen to his side of the story only to be interupted with a loud outburst and a flying pan. Gohan pushed a rice ball around his plate with a chopstick, "Daddy, can we go see Piccolo soon?"   
  
"Of course, as soon as you finish your dinner." Goku smiled his big grin before turning back to ChiChi's argument. Gohan sighed and picked the rice ball up in his fingers breaking it into smaller pieces and only nibbling on a few of the small ones. Goku put his hand on Gohan's head as he stood. "All right, Gohan let's go. But it'll be quick and then you have to eat, okay? You can't stop eating just because Piccolo's hurt. What would he say?" Goku looked down on his son who was looking back up at him smiling.   
  
"Okay Dad! But can we bring him something to eat? He might be hungry." Goku nodded and Gohan laughed as he ran off to grab a small basket and began to pile rice cakes, buns and anything else his little hands could stuff into it. Once he was satisfied the two took off to the waterfall with ChiChi screaching death behind them.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
Piccolo's ears picked up the sound of two familiar voices in the distance, he struggled to sit and settled for a half slump against the cavern wall. He had awoken less than an hour ago and his body felt stiff and bruised. Gohan was the first to enter carrying a small basket and Goku followed beaming his large smile when he noticed the Namek was awake.  
  
"Piccolo!" Gohan's voice echoed off of the walls, "Are you feeling okay? I was worried."  
  
Piccolo's throat was dry and gravely, "I'm fine kid." He tried swallowing but found his mouth as dry as his thoat. He pushed himself onto one knee but teetered and fell back onto the earth, grunting as the force jostled every nerve ending in his body into one cacophony of pain. Gohan stepped forward and holding the small basket.   
  
"Here...I brought this for you." Piccolo pulled the blanket back to see the mound of food hidden underneath. His stomach grumbled lightly needing the nourishment, he grinned at Gohan in the dim light.   
  
"That's just what I needed." Gohan laughed at the approval he got.   
  
Goku stepped up behind Gohan and added, "You know what would go great with that, some fresh water. Right, Piccolo?" Piccolo looked at Goku for a moment, then nodded.   
  
"I'll get it! I'll be right back!"   
  
After Gohan leapt from the cave Piccolo watched as Goku sat cross-legged in front of him. "How are you really feeling, Piccolo?" The concern in Goku's voice matched the look on his face.  
  
"I feel like I've been hit by a mack truck hauling a load of shit." Piccolo coughed then growled and held his throat in one hand. With the other he picked up a rice ball and bit it in half chewing slowly.  
  
"You know...I was pretty sure for a while that you were dead." Goku laughed.  
  
"I can see how that would be funny." Piccolo's voice dripped sarcasm.  
  
"That's not what I meant exactly. I mean you're one tough nut to crack," Goku's voice grew serious, "Your vitals were low for quit a while...I thought we'd have to bury another friend." The serious nature of the situation made Piccolo uncomfortable, almost as much as the openness of Goku's emotions.  
  
"Look Goku, it doesn't matter, there are a lot of people that die every day. I'd just be another statistic."  
  
"True, but I don't know those people." Goku clasped a hand on Piccolo's shoulder. Piccolo grimaced at the applied pressure but had to laugh when Goku drew back in a burst of apologies.  
  
Gohan entered with a jug of cold water and set it beside his sensei, "There!" Piccolo grinned and thanked him.  
  
"Well Gohan, I think it's time we get back home and let Piccolo rest. Besides, your mother has probably torn half of the house apart." He winked at his son.  
  
"Okay, goodbye Piccolo! I'll come back in the morning, if that's okay with you..." He looked down at his feet.  
  
"I wouldn't have it any other way, kid." Gohan smiled and laughed running to catch up to his father. Then as a last minute thought Piccolo yelled out to Goku, "Goku! Would you check on Dende?"  
  
"Oh wow! I almost forgot, we'll stop in to see him before going home. Bye, Piccolo!"   
  
Piccolo watched them fly off and shook his head with a smirk on his face; he ate another rice ball and took a swig of water before settling himself against the wall in a more comfortable position. It felt strange to have someone care so strongly for his well being, but it also felt good. With food in his stomach and a warm feeling in his chest he nodded off to sleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
Piccolo woke with a start. Lisenting intently to his surroundings everything seemed normal; the rush of water pounding over the cliffs, chirps of crickets and the screech of night birds. He closed his eyes and against the wall again, *There!* He'd heard it again.  
  
"Alright, Who's there?" Piccolo began to charge what little ki he had regained and growled into the darkness.  
  
"Whoa! Piccolo take it easy! It's just me!"  
  
"Dende?" Piccolo squinted and saw an outline against the backdrop of moving water. It stepped forward into a flickering beam of moonlight, it was indeed, Dende. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm fine thanks for asking," Dende grinned. "Besides, I'm not allowed to check up on you? But I see you're doing much better." Piccolo grunted and relaxed against the wall, absorbing the ki he had been building.  
  
"I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I shouldn't have brought that beast to the Lookout."  
  
"You have nothing to be sorry for, you didn't know who Gharib was."  
  
"I should have!"  
  
"No, I should have. You didn't grow up on Namek through all that terror, you were here. How could you have known about an enemy you've never even heard of?" Dende smiled down on Piccolo. "I'm not blaming you, everyone is alive that's all that matters. Besides, I've got something for you."  
  
Piccolo looked questioningly at Dende through the darkness. "What is it?"  
  
Dende extended a hand, a small pendant hanging from his fingers caught the low light and glinted onto the wall. Piccolo picked it up and looked at it, it was the same metal from Gharib's neck, a pendant for a Namekian warrior. Piccolo's eyes grew big as the realization of what he'd been given sunk in.  
  
"I can't accept this." He pushed the pendant back into Dende's hand.  
  
"Of course you can, and you can't refuse it. You were willing to give your life to save the earth from a creature that almost killed our race. It doesn't get much more heroic than that."  
  
"I did what I had to do, that's all."   
  
"And that's what any being that truely diserves this would say. Just take it, it's a great treasure that's rarely given anymore, or ever for that matter. Please." Dende held the pendant out to Piccolo again, the simple deign ingraved on it winking at him. Piccolo plucked it from Dende's open palm and looked at it more closely.  
  
Dende smiled and walked a step away preparing to leave, "Wait!" He turned to find Piccolo standing on uncertain legs. "Thank you." Dende smiled again and nodded before transmitting back to the lookout. Piccolo stood for a moment longer looking at the pendant in his hand before he draped it across his head and let it settle around his neck. He tucked the small object under the neck of his gi and sat again, his body feeling drained. He fingered the small circle under his gi as he closed his eyes and listened to the pounding of the water as he drifted to sleep for the second time that evening.  
  
  
****  
a/n: okay, sorry for how damn long that took, and how blunt the ending wound up...but with such a long break in between posting and the little stuff called life in between i lost track of what i wanted to do with the story. hope you enjoyed it anyway. ;p 


End file.
